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ARSENIC IN BABY FOODS

What We’ve Learned About the Safety of Rice
Products for Infants and Children

After six months of breastfeeding, Kim
was delighted to have reached the pivotal milestone of introducing solid foods
to her infant daughter. Following tradition and the trusted advice of family
and friends, Kim confidently chose rice cereal as her baby’s first solid food.

Shortly thereafter, in early 2012,
researchers from Dartmouth College published scientific findings that revealed
many baby foods, including rice cereal, contain significant levels of arsenic.1 Like many parents across the
nation, the intense media coverage of this discovery caused Kim to fear that
she may have harmed her daughter with a seemingly wholesome baby food.

Roughly two years later, the media storm
has quieted, but the presence of arsenic in food—particularly rice-containing products
for babies and children—remains a significant public health concern. Prolonged exposure to
arsenic from water and food has been linked to certain forms of cancer, skin
lesions, increased heart disease risk, neurotoxicity, and diabetes.

The
potential adverse effects of arsenic on the health and development of babies
and children is of utmost concern.

Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD, a spokesperson
for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy), highlights the good
that came from the alarming media coverage on this issue: “Any information
regarding the health and well-being of babies and young children should be
addressed. The media have shared information about a potential health issue, and
that’s an important service to our community and
parents.”

Indeed, after the issue of arsenic in
baby foods emerged, the medical community, researchers, government agencies,
and rice product manufacturers were called to action. As a result, we’re now on the path toward greater understanding
of arsenic in our food supply and closer to determining a safe level of
consumption.

Our
Food Supply

Humans have long been consuming arsenic;
it’s a naturally occurring element in our soil and groundwater. Various
mechanisms, such as erosion of arsenic-containing rock and the plentiful industrial
uses of arsenic, all contribute to arsenic in our environment.

Two forms of arsenic, inorganic and
organic, exist and always are present in the food supply. However, only
inorganic arsenic is considered toxic to our health and defined as a known human carcinogen.2-4 Julie Miller Jones,
PhD, CNS, LN, CFS, offers this encouragement to worried consumers: “What really
matters is the form of arsenic. The inorganic form is the toxic form. A high
level of arsenic in a food may not mean a high level of the inorganic form.”

Why
Rice Is a Significant Source

Unlike most other crops, rice is grown
in water-flooded conditions. Its roots readily absorb arsenic from the
groundwater and soil, and eventually the grain stores the arsenic. Depending on the geographic region in which the
rice is grown, the crops may contain more or less arsenic. Rice grown in the
south central states such as Arkansas, from where roughly 50% of rice grown in
the United States originates, is said to contain higher amounts of arsenic due
to a long history of arsenic-containing pesticide use on cotton crops in that
region. Also worth noting is that arsenic concentrates in the outer bran and
germ layers of the rice grain, therefore brown rice is said to have a higher
total arsenic content than white rice.

Babies’
and Children’s Products

Americans traditionally feed their
baby rice cereal as their first food. Rice also is a primary ingredient in
many other baby foods, such as puffed rice snacks, stage 2 dinners for infants, fruit and yogurt smoothies, and even
certain infant formulas.

In late 2012, Consumer Reports published the results of an internal analysis of 200 samples of rice products in which some infant
rice, cereals were determined to contain five times or more the level of inorganic arsenic
found in alternative grains such as oatmeal. Researchers estimated that infants
may eat up to two to three servings of rice per day, an amount that could equate to a cancer risk twice their acceptable
level. Subsequently, the researchers recommended babies be fed no more than one
serving of an infant rice cereal per day on average and encouraged parents to
offer cereals made from wheat, oatmeal, and corn grits because of their lower
arsenic content.

The
Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health and research
advocacy organization, provided similar cautionary recommendations for limiting
arsenic exposure in a child’s diet.

The health effects of arsenic exposure
in children remain largely unknown. Evidence suggests that if children consume rice,
they’re being exposed to arsenic. One recent study among US children found that
for every 1⁄4-cup increase in cooked rice consumption, there was a 14% increase
in urinary arsenic concentration.

Among two separate studies published in
2013, both of which assessed children in rural

Bangladesh, where chronic exposure to
high arsenic levels in drinking water is a serious health problem, arsenic
exposure early in life was associated with poor growth and other long term consequences,
such as increased blood pressure and compromised kidney function.

When rice-containing baby foods suddenly
were vilified for containing arsenic, some manufacturers took immediate action to
begin selling safer products. The manufacturer of two infant formulas made with
organic brown rice syrup—both of which had been targeted for having high
arsenic levels—found a new low-arsenic rice source and worked with its rice
supplier to develop a filtration process that would eliminate detectable arsenic
levels. Subsequent third-party testing reportedly has confirmed that these
formulas now contain undetectable or nearly undetectable arsenic levels.

Moreover, the makers of a widely popular
infant rice cereal have altered their manufacturing practices to exclusively use rice grown
in California, a state believed to have the lowest arsenic levels for rice
grown in the United States, for all their rice-containing infant cereals.

FDA
Sheds New Light

In September 2013, the FDA published
test results to determine the inorganic arsenic content of approximately 1,300 samples
of rice and rice products commonly consumed in the United States, including
toddler cereals, infant formulas, grain-based bars, and snacks such as rice
cakes and cookies. It reported that arsenic levels varied greatly among the
products tested, yet the arsenic content was deemed too low to cause immediate
or short-term adverse health effects.

In an official statement, the FDA
advised consumers, including pregnant women, infants, and children, to eat a
well-balanced diet for the sake of good nutrition and minimize potential health
risks from consuming any one food in excess. For parents seeking to diversify
their child’s diet, the FDA suggested limiting rice cereal to one serving per
week and offering cereals made from other types of grains, including wheat,
barley, and oats.

Acknowledging that Americans
traditionally feed infant rice cereal as their first food, the FDA reported
that, per the American Academy of Pediatrics, there’s no scientific evidence stating that rice cereal is superior to
other grains such as wheat, oats, or barley as the first solid food.
Concurrently, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a public statement in support of the FDA’s recommendations.

In collaboration with other federal
agencies, such as the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the
Environmental Protection Agency, the FDA currently is completing a thorough risk
assessment to determine the potential long-term effects of arsenic consumption
with emphasis on how arsenic may affect children. The results may be published
in late 2014.

Dietitians
Weigh In

Jamieson-Petonic recommends that concerned
parents limit products that have rice or brown rice syrup as one of the first ingredients
on the label and avoid foods that list even organic brown rice syrup as a primary
ingredient. “Exposing your child to a balanced diet is beneficial in order to
ensure a varied amount of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients,” she says.

Likewise, Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDE, a
spokesperson for the Academy, says variety is a critical part of a healthful
diet for babies and children. “Experimenting with different grains are good for the whole family. When
choosing other grain cereals, parents should just make sure they’re iron
fortified. As an alternative, parents can consider puréed meats, as they can be a good way of getting that necessary
iron to their baby.”

Jones agrees that a varied diet is
important for children, but she cautions against putting emphasis on avoiding
rice products. “Eliminating rice may give parents a false sense of security and will not protect them or
their children,” she says.

“Be concerned about whether your child
gets enough good quality protein, adequate dietary fiber, and enough fruits and vegetables.
The best offense is a good defense.”

Naturally, parents will continue to have
concerns about the presence of arsenic in their children’s food. Dietitians can
provide a valuable service to their communities by explaining what the research says and offering
sound alternatives to ensure their clients’ children get the nutrients they
need for their proper development.

“Any time a study comes out that reveals
a product is carcinogenic, we’re concerned. We go into panic mode because we naturally
want to protect our kids,” Sheth says. “But we definitely want to make sure the
decisions we make about what we feed our children are based on evidence and not
fear.”